KUALA LUMPUR – Former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) general counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan told the high court here today that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, had sworn to make her life “a living hell” if she ever returned to Malaysia.
Loo, 50, who was abroad for five years since a month before the general election in 2018, said Jho Low had sent her threats, in the sense that he would use all his resources and power to ensure that she met a terrible end if she ever came back to the country.
“As I’ve said, my desire was always to return to cooperate with the authorities, I have no intention to run away but I felt cornered in circumstances in which I felt I could not safely return to Malaysia.
“I had obstacles and challenges arranging safe passage back to the country, so I did what I could and my first approach was to resolve the United States Department of Justice’s suit and to make restitution,” said the 50th prosecution witness.
She said this when answering additional questions from deputy public prosecutor Deepa Nair Thevaharan during the examination-in-chief in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s corruption and money-laundering trial involving RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds.
Earlier, Loo explained she had no intentions of running away as she was already in Bangkok, Thailand when the results of the 2018 election came out, where the Barisan Nasional government led by Najib suffered defeat.
“I was instructed by Jho Low to remain abroad and not to return to the country as he said that things would get very ugly for me and said ‘you will be much worse’ if I return to Malaysia.
“Jho Low promised to resolve things and that he would look into the situation before advising me… basically, he asked me to give him more time before returning to the country,” she said, adding that she feared for her safety and did not want to become the “next Xavier Justo”.
She said by April 2021, her lawyers submitted a representation to the Attorney-General’s Chambers offering her cooperation and seeking safe passage to Malaysia.
Loo said as deplorable as it may seem to have to rely on someone who had sworn to make her “life a living hell”, she had no choice but to accept the funds sent by Jho Low the whole time when she was abroad.
“I was not working. I lived on whatever funds I had with me and from time to time, maybe from eight to nine months, Jho Low would send someone or strangers to deliver funds to me, approximately about US$2,500 (RM11,964) for another year or so.
“I felt I had no choice in order to survive because I had no other means,” Loo said.
When asked about her professional relationship with trial judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, Loo said she first met the judge as a chambering student and at that material time, he was a litigation partner in Zain and Co.
“He was in the litigation department, I was in the corporate department. After I left the firm, I have not been in contact with the judge. Yesterday, it was the first time I have seen him since 2008,” she said.
The question was posted to the witness, as judge Sequerah had disclosed that he had worked with her, which led to Najib’s defence team applying to recuse the judge from presiding over the case.
Najib, 70, faces four charges of using his position as prime minister to obtain bribes totaling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial continues on Friday. – February 14, 2024